01-12-2024, 01:52 AM
After over a year from my last review and a now completed UMPI degree, I am happy to be back for a review of a course, and it is the first review here for 2024! Happy New Year!
Provider: Study.com
Course: Geometry 101: Introduction to Geometry
Course content: Text and videos.
Final exam format: Multiple Choice. 60 questions.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: final exam was on par with course content.
Time taken on course: about 4 hours a day (2 chapters/day) for 8 days.
Familiarity with subject before course: Some basic math; hardly more than intermediate algebra level.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: This course is WILD. As it seems, I am only the second person to review it. And chances are that the course now has more chapters than when the other person took almost 2 years ago (I think this is the case because the course now has "v.3" in its name if you look at the ACE website). It is massive - 16 chapters and 142 quizzes if I am not mistaken. The first half is a breeze. It was fun and I have to say I did learn quite a bit for this short period. As chapters progress, however, it gets exponentially more difficult. There are chapters that teach formulas for volume and surface area of many shapes and a chapter "introduction" to Trigonometry. These 2 chapters require extraordinary amounts of memorization. Despite the two fair practice exams I tried right before the final, I was quite unlucky on my final exam - and I was getting too often questions from these exact chapters with formulas. I did substantially worse on my final exam compared to the practice exams. On top of that, I expected to have a Desmos Calculator available during the exam (as it is described in the course syllabus). Well, guess what - I could not find the calculator anywhere in the exam software interface. As the exam was already going on, I simply could not risk failing the exam for having to go grab my own calculator (which is allowed if it's not a graphic one). Calculating volume, surface area, sines, cosines and the rest of the gang without a calculator ... good luck with that lol. Despite all of this, I managed to pass, barely. Thankfully, I did impressively well with the vast majority of the content that did not require memorization of formulas. If anyone plans on taking this course - be aware that it is long (although there is some repetition in videos, which is a good thing). I don't know about you, but if I was to spend more time trying to memorize formulas, I fear that I would then forget the rest of the stuff. In this case and in my opinion, I believe that rushing the course as much as possible is the better way to do it. Surely, this may not be the case for everyone. Parts of the class do assume that one has some basic (and not so basic) math knowledge. I do not suggest taking this course before at least a Sophia-like "Intro to College Math" class. If you want to score well, expect to have to memorize formulas.
1-10 Difficulty level: 6.
Now, where is that Desmos calculator again?
Provider: Study.com
Course: Geometry 101: Introduction to Geometry
Course content: Text and videos.
Final exam format: Multiple Choice. 60 questions.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: final exam was on par with course content.
Time taken on course: about 4 hours a day (2 chapters/day) for 8 days.
Familiarity with subject before course: Some basic math; hardly more than intermediate algebra level.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: This course is WILD. As it seems, I am only the second person to review it. And chances are that the course now has more chapters than when the other person took almost 2 years ago (I think this is the case because the course now has "v.3" in its name if you look at the ACE website). It is massive - 16 chapters and 142 quizzes if I am not mistaken. The first half is a breeze. It was fun and I have to say I did learn quite a bit for this short period. As chapters progress, however, it gets exponentially more difficult. There are chapters that teach formulas for volume and surface area of many shapes and a chapter "introduction" to Trigonometry. These 2 chapters require extraordinary amounts of memorization. Despite the two fair practice exams I tried right before the final, I was quite unlucky on my final exam - and I was getting too often questions from these exact chapters with formulas. I did substantially worse on my final exam compared to the practice exams. On top of that, I expected to have a Desmos Calculator available during the exam (as it is described in the course syllabus). Well, guess what - I could not find the calculator anywhere in the exam software interface. As the exam was already going on, I simply could not risk failing the exam for having to go grab my own calculator (which is allowed if it's not a graphic one). Calculating volume, surface area, sines, cosines and the rest of the gang without a calculator ... good luck with that lol. Despite all of this, I managed to pass, barely. Thankfully, I did impressively well with the vast majority of the content that did not require memorization of formulas. If anyone plans on taking this course - be aware that it is long (although there is some repetition in videos, which is a good thing). I don't know about you, but if I was to spend more time trying to memorize formulas, I fear that I would then forget the rest of the stuff. In this case and in my opinion, I believe that rushing the course as much as possible is the better way to do it. Surely, this may not be the case for everyone. Parts of the class do assume that one has some basic (and not so basic) math knowledge. I do not suggest taking this course before at least a Sophia-like "Intro to College Math" class. If you want to score well, expect to have to memorize formulas.
1-10 Difficulty level: 6.
Now, where is that Desmos calculator again?
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